John Kerry, Dems back Ed Markey for Senate

Democrats both nationally and in Massachusetts are throwing their support behind Rep. Ed Markey to replace Sen. John Kerry in Massachusetts, hoping to clear the field for him in what could become a crowded Democratic primary.

Kerry, whose nomination for secretary of state has opened up a likely special election for his Senate seat, backed the longtime congressman in a statement Friday — as did the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee and Vicki Kennedy, wife of the late Sen. Ted Kennedy.

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Obama nominates Kerry for secretary of state

“As Massachusetts’ senior senator today and as a colleague of Ed Markey’s for 28 years, I’m excited to learn of and support his decision to run for the United States Senate,” Kerry said in a statement Friday afternoon. “Ed’s one of the most experienced and capable legislators in the entire Congress and it would be an almost unprecedented occasion for such an accomplished legislator to join the Senate able to hit the ground running on every issue of importance to Massachusetts.”

The endorsements, made public in a matter of hours on Friday, are a sign that Democrats want to avoid a contested primary that would damage the eventual nominee. Even without a fight, the Democratic nominee will likely have a tough time beating Republican Sen. Scott Brown should he run as expected.

“The Democratic Party is … trying to clear the field of any other candidates to avoid a primary,” said Democratic strategist Mary Anne Marsh. “That effort has really increased substantially in the last 24 to 48 hours.”

But one of Markey’s likely Democratic opponents, Rep. Michael Capuano, responded defiantly to the high-profile endorsements.

“It seems that the big names of our party are trying to choose our nominee for us,” Capuano, who was elected to his eighth term in November, said in a statement. “When I became mayor of Somerville the establishment wasn’t with me. When I became a member of Congress the establishment wasn’t with me. If I make this run it will be the same way — from the streets up, not from the elite down.”

Brown, who has not announced his decision yet, lost in November to Democrat Elizabeth Warren. But he remains popular in the state and turnout in a special election — his path to power in 2010 — would be more favorable to the Republican.

Markey, who was first elected to the House in 1976, announced his candidacy Thursday. The 66-year-old congressman is a fixture of the House but has never run statewide. Though he’ll come to the race with just over $3 million left in his campaign war chest, he’ll need it to boost his name ID beyond his eastern Massachusetts congressional district.

However, President Barack Obama has pledged to raise money and campaign for the eventual Democratic nominee.

mike-usn-net, the only nut here is you. All you know about Markey is that he is probably of Irish descent like you and you think he is a nut case! Hey, hurry up and get back to Foxnews, you must be missing somethin!

mike-usn-net, the only nut here is you. All you know about Markey is that he is probably of Irish descent like you and you think he is a nut case! Hey, hurry up and get back to Foxnews, you must be missing somethin!

Understand that John Kerry was not the best senator the state has ever had and he couldn't find Massachusetts without a GPS system. Basically he stayed in DC all the time.

That said, it's disappointing that we have to gear up for yet another race and hopefully take down Scott Brown for the final time.

Ed Markey is a decent man and would probably beat Brown by 4-5 points in a presidential year. But he doesn't have Elizabeth Warren's charisma, and even with help from the president and the Clintons this will be a tough race.

Brown will get plenty of money from the hard right, which knows that when the chips are down he is hardly a centrist. If Democrats don't have the energy to gear up for another race, this seat could be a giveaway to a Republican Party and make the Senate even more polarized.

Oh, I'll be there to vote against Slippery scumbag Scott, who voted to keep big fat tax breaks for oil companies who made more money than any company in the HISTORY OF PLANET EARTH. Not once, but twice. Even if I have to walk.

Scott Brown was part of the the most unproductive congress ever with over 100 filibusters. Simply horrible excuse for representation, I wouldn't have let him out of kindergarten since he doesn't work well with others.

If we can't tax MegaCompanies at even half the rate that the local pizza shop pays then this country is in trouble.

By all means, let' elect a guy who has been part of the do nothing congress to multiple more years in the do nothing congress. Dump all the lumps who have not produced real results for America - jobs, growth, balanced budget; end to fiscal cliff; a passed budget. This support is exactly what's wrong with Congress. It's so incestuous, the inbreeding has given a bunch of functionally incompetent leaders, who have have been neutered and branded to the highest bidder.

mike-usn-net, the only nut here is you. All you know about Markey is that he is probably of Irish descent like you and you think he is a nut case! Hey, hurry up and get back to Foxnews, you must be missing somethin!

jx,

I've lived in NE for the past 40 yrs, 25 of which I've served in the US Navy in Groton CT. I've watched politics in the Peoples Republic of Mass for all that time and Ed Markey in particular. He's a wacko "progressive" who's answer to every ill in the country is a government regulation or give away. And like all of his ilk when neither work his stock answer is just like all of the others. "It was someone elses fault". A smart man said this about politicians and Ed Markey fits it to a tee "Politics is the art of looking for trouble, finding it whether it exists or not, diagnosing it incorrectly, and applying the wrong remedy." I hold little hope that the idiots in MA and particularly, the ones who live east of Worcester, will vote for anyone other then a promise you the moon, Santa Claus Democrat but one can hope.

PS. jx, I leave you in the capable hands of PMSNBC where I'm sure you recieve all of your central committee propaganda and marching order comrade.